Cats are usually very contained. That's why people find it hard to believe that a true cat can get separation anxiety. Just, cats are social beings that form potent relationships with their humans. Also, cats don't like alter. If there's been a recent change in your routine or work schedule, your kitty can feel similar they're abandoned.

Your cat's anxiety is at full throttle when you lot are away from abode. Now, thanks to Petcube pet camera, your voice can condolement them wherever you lot are.

Sad Cat sitting near the window

Cat separation anxiety is more than hard to spot than dog separation feet. Your cat won't bark or completely trash the identify while yous're gone to the aforementioned extent a dog might. But they can offset meowing a lot, become clingy, or go into hiding as you're near to exit. An anxious cat can too show signs of fear, or urinate and defecate outside the litter box.

All these signs can hateful that your pet feels neglected, depressed, or broken-hearted. Yet, before you leap to conclusions, it's best to rule out medical issues. Take your cat to the vet for a checkup and don't leave out any physical symptoms, behavioral changes, and changes in your dwelling house life or daily routines.

Content:

  1. Do Cats Get Separation Anxiety?
  2. Common Cat Anxiety Signs and Symptoms
  3. Empathize Cat Separation Anxiety Causes
  4. Cat Feet Treatment Options
  5. Kitten Separation Anxiety
  6. Leaving Cats Alone & Crying Cats
  7. Monitor Your Pet
  8. FAQs

Exercise Cats Become Separation Feet?

Yes, cats can get separation anxiety. Domestic dog owners are making a big fuss out of information technology because canines make more dissonance and a bigger mess when they're left alone. Only dogs don't own the status. Felines are very attached to their owners and family members. And they can become lonely and depressed, too.

The issue is, cats aren't commonly equally destructive as dogs, so separation anxiety in cats often goes unnoticed until it'south severe. Some may think of cats as loners that don't need much interaction, but this is far from the truth. Your kitty needs enough playtime, attending, and a very stimulating environment to be happy and healthy.

Common Cat Anxiety Signs and Symptoms

When cats form dysfunctional bonds with their humans, they'll develop behavioral problems. If your true cat urinates on your clothes or your bed when you're away, don't assume they're getting back at you for leaving them solitary. They might exist trying to self-soothe and assistance y'all observe your way back to them.

Cats might non trash your unabridged home to the extent dogs tin, but destructive behavior is not uncommon. Felines like to knock things over and scratch doors and furniture.

Cat and broken vase

Other signs and symptoms of feline separation anxiety include:

  • Excessive and loud meowing
  • House-soiling
  • Excessive licking and cocky-training
  • Not eating / Eating too fast
  • Clinginess
  • Airsickness and diarrhea
  • Isolation

Empathise Cat Separation Anxiety Causes

The causes of cat separation anxiety can vary from genetic to ecology to wellness issues.

Early Weaning

Kittens that were taken abroad from their mother and siblings too soon tin can exist more prone to the status. Kittens shouldn't be separated from their feline family until they're at least eight weeks old. Orphaned kitties can also have issues. Another common cause of anxiety in cats is the lack of socialization. Socialization should occur between three and 9 weeks of age.

Genetics

Genetics, as well equally cat depression, can also play a role in feline separation anxiety. Siamese and Burmese cats, and loftier strung cats seem to exist more prone to the condition. There'southward nothing you tin practise to modify the genetics. You lot can do a lot in terms of providing your pet enough exercise and mental stimulation.

Change or Lack of Stimuli

Cats that get bored or don't take enough playtime can get overly fastened to their owners. Other triggers include major changes such as a move, death of another pet or a family fellow member, a vacation, a new baby, or a modify in your work schedule. Fifty-fifty daylight savings time can cause anxiety in cats!

And remember, cats are very skillful at reading and picking upward on our emotions. The more anxious you are, the ameliorate the chance your kitty volition get anxious. Especially every bit yous're nigh to leave the house.

Health Issues

Of class, before you make the diagnosis and make up one's mind on true cat anxiety treatment, consider bodily wellness problems. Based on the symptoms, your vet volition know what to look out for. They may cheque for a urinary tract infection, hyperthyroidism, abdominal disease, skin issues, allergies, and parasites.

True cat Anxiety Handling Options

Happy cat face

One time your kitty is diagnosed with separation anxiety, your veterinarian will recommend treatment. Cat anxiety treatment includes behavioral modification, and drugs may be necessary. If the symptoms aren't too severe, virtually vets will start working with y'all on modifying behavior. Cat behavior modification techniques focus on reducing stress and increasing stimulation.

If you go stuck, you lot tin can e'er seek help from a pet behavior expert. If you're a Petcube Care member, you can achieve out to Vetted's network of vet techs and specialists via alive chat or telephone.

Ensure Enough Playtime

The kickoff and easiest thing to practice is to play with your cat two or three times a twenty-four hour period. Include different toys in your play sessions and allow your feline to satisfy their prey drive. When your kitty starts to play lone, encourage the behavior. Use petting, treats, and praise to make the behavior stick. **Don't encourage clingy behavior, meowing, or any activity yous don't want to see. **

Provide a Safe and Stimulating Environment

Consider getting a cat tree and vertical scratching posts. Cats love high places because they make them feel prophylactic. If your kitty can also watch birds from their post, that's even improve. As long as you can ensure the condom of everyone involved, you tin can install a bird feeder in your m. This way, your cat can have their own private entertainment committee.

Scratching posts will keep your furniture intact and allow your pet to stretch, scratch, and marker their territory. Cats prefer vertical scratching posts, and if yous can have a few of them around the house, they will make adept use of it. Of form, you desire to place the posts in the areas where your true cat spends most of their time.

Puzzle feeders, toys, and pet cameras are also good tools to use when you have to leave for longer periods of time. Puzzle feeders volition proceed your kitty decorated for a long time. They're great when your cat'due south not eating. Fill them with your pet'southward favorite nutrient, and they'll also get their nutrients. If you don't have a puzzle feeder, you tin likewise hide food or treats around the house for your petty hunter to find. An interactive treat dispenser, such every bit Petcube Bites 2, tin can offer a chance to entertain your cat when you can't exist there — and some reassurance from hearing your vocalization, too.

Cat Anxiety Handling - Desensitize anxiety triggers

Does your cat go nervous every bit you're putting your clothes on and getting fix to leave the house? If so, determine which items give them the indicate that you're well-nigh to leave. It might be your jacket, keys, a purse or a briefcase, even your shoes. Any of these items can become feet triggers. When you lot notice what sends your cat into panic mode, you can work on the problem.

Start preparing to leave the house without actually getting out a few times a day. If the keys are the trigger, option them upward and then put them back. If it's putting on your shoes, put them on for a infinitesimal as if yous're about to leave and then have them off and become about your 24-hour interval.

When your true cat stops freaking out almost these things, yous can leave for a moment and so for short periods of time. When you come dorsum inside, greet your pet and play a footling bit. As your feline companion gets less stressed, y'all tin can commencement leaving for extended periods of fourth dimension. Y'all can break up these periods of isolation by using the Petcube camera at random moments when yous are abroad, either dispensing treats or talking to your kitty.

Cat Anxiety Treatment - When Medication Is Necessary

Let your vet decide if cat anxiety medication is necessary to ease the symptoms. Never give medication without consulting a vet and always give the prescribed dose. Felines are sensitive to some types of drugs, and every true cat is different and so yous can do more harm than good.

If genetic factors are causing the anxiety, your vet is more likely to prescribe drugs. They may also practise it if behavior modification isn't working or the symptoms are too astringent. There are meds such every bit diazepam, lorazepam and alprazolam that you can give your cat when feet is about to appear. Other medications include antidepressants, serotonin agonists, buspirone, and benzodiazepines. Some of these are used to treat cat low as the two conditions oft occur together.

Leave the decision upward to your vet and follow their orders. Your primary focus should even so be on managing stress and behavior. All drugs tin can take mild to severe side effects so don't experiment on your ain.

Kitten Separation Anxiety

Kittens that were weaned off too soon from their mothers are more than probable to go separation anxiety. They should not be taken away from their family earlier they're at least eight weeks one-time. The period between three and 9 weeks of age is important for socialization. Kittens that weren't introduced to other animals and humans during this time can likewise have problems.

A new environment, new people, and improper early socialization can all trigger separation feet in cats. If this happens, there volition be a lot of meowing, scratching, and little messes around the firm. Be patient and let your kitty arrange.

What You Tin can Do to Help Kittens With Separation Anxiety

Ensure that you provide a safe environment, lots of honey, and enough playtime for your new family member. Information technology's always expert to check with a vet and get some extra tips and tricks. The core of true cat separation anxiety is low self-confidence and a high dependence on others. You need to permit your kitty be a hunter and encourage them to practise things on their ain.

When you become a new kitten, you tin can gear up a safe, quiet room where they tin can't hurt themselves. Put their nutrient, water and litter boxes in the room and leave them lone there for curt periods of time. As your trivial buddy gets comfy, you can increment their alone time. After on, build up to leaving them alone equally you go to work.

Other pets and kids

If y'all have other pets, introduce them early on and supervise the behavior. Exist gentle, at-home and try to figure out what kind of toys and playtime the kitten enjoys most. If you lot have small children, teach them to be gentle. If you have a babe in a crib, your cat shouldn't be in the room during nap time.

Note: If your true cat already has separation feet, getting another pet won't aid. It can worsen the condition equally the ii will now have to share your already limited attention. Don't introduce a new pet to your household until cat separation feet is resolved.

Leaving Cats Lone & Crying Cats

Well-nigh of the time, cats don't have a problem being alone. But if they have anxiety problems, they will make their trouble everyone'south trouble. Loud meowing, crying, scratching, defecating and urinating where they shouldn't are common signs.

Prepare to Exit

Before leaving your kitty alone, make sure there's plenty food, water, and toys at their disposal. High posts where they can nap such as a true cat tree or some other arrangement are also recommended. As y'all're getting ready to get out, don't waste matter a lot of time and energy on goodbyes. This will give your crying cat the signal that you're going away for a long time.

It's best that you don't talk to your cat as you're leaving. Go ready, gather your things, and calmly walk out the door. If yous get broken-hearted, your pets will get stressed out too and they can kickoff crying.

Let Your Cat Enjoy

While you're gone, your feline tin can enjoy puzzle feeders, bird watching, and watching TV. Leave vibrating toys, ping pong balls or catnip around the house. You can also put on soothing classical music.

If your cat cries a lot when left lonely, you can use cat pheromone products. Spray some bogus pheromones effectually the house, and your kitty will be less anxious. Music and DVDs suitable for cats will aid your pet relax or stay entertained. This will also silence outside noises.

Monitor Your Pet

Petucbe app cat monitoring

You may think that now you've done everything you could to help your kitty boxing separation feet. Simply at that place's another thing you can try. You tin monitor your true cat'southward beliefs while you're not domicile past using a pet camera.

There are many options on the market place, but Petcube Play two pet camera has unrivaled functionality. With this photographic camera, yous tin watch your pet twenty-four hour period and nighttime. As well, you tin can talk to them and play with a laser. Hearing your voice and chasing a laser beam can assistance ease separation anxiety in cats. Exist conscientious not to signal the beam at your pet'south eyes.

Finally, you can also get a pet sitter to sentry over your feline and proceed them company while you lot're away. Whether it'due south work or vacation time for you, your pet will not exist alone all twenty-four hours. But make sure your pet sitter and your kitty are a good match.

FAQs

Do Cats Go Lonely on Their Ain?

Cats go very fastened to their families. When left solitary, they tin get lonely, depressed, and even anxious. Information technology'southward a misconception that cats aren't social beings. They need their daily dose of beloved and attention to stay happy and salubrious.

Why Is My True cat Meowing So Loud?

Cats can meow for many reasons. If your feline is also clingy and the meowing is worse when you're away or in another room, your cat might have separation feet. If excessive loud meowing persists, you should e'er consult a vet.

Can Cats Get Depressed?

Yes, cat depression is not uncommon. They don't respond well to change whether it's their food, your habits, or the living environment. Common signs of depression in cats include isolation, hiding, lack of grooming, lethargy, and even aggression.

Practise Cats Aid With Anxiety?

Cats tin can assistance with depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. They're among the most popular emotional support animals. They volition offer unconditional honey and back up, and they'll become your best friend if you let them.

Why Does My Cat Urinate on My Pillow When I Am Not at Habitation?

It'southward annoying to accept your cat urinate on your pillow, but it's a sign of amore. By mixing your scents, your kitty is trying to self-soothe. Also, this is a way for them to leave you ''breadcrumbs'' so y'all tin can find your way home easier.

Why Is My Cat Destructive When I Go out?

Cats are curious and sometimes mischievous creatures. They may be knocking things over for fun. They may too claw your doors and furniture if they're bored or don't have enough scratch posts. Simply, if the behavior only occurs when y'all leave the business firm, there's a chance your true cat is suffering from feline separation anxiety.

Should I Get Some other Pet To Assist My Cat With Separation Anxiety?

No. If your kitty already has separation anxiety, adding a new pet tin worsen the problem. Now at that place will exist two or more of them sharing your attention and trying to secure their space inside the home.